Kannur Violence: A shocking history of CPM-BJP political clashes

The violence at the district of Kannur has a long trail in time, between political parties, especially BJP and CPM. This year itself there has been six killings.

Following a slew of alleged attacks from both CPM and RSS, tensions have been mounting at Kannur district which is a part of Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency. (PTI)

Following a slew of alleged attacks from both CPM and RSS, tensions have been mounting at Kannur district which is a part of Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s constituency. It has been a week since BJP sympathiser P Shaji has not been going back home after his house was ransacked two times allegedly by CPM men, IE reported. This comes after a CPM worker was allegedly killed by RSS men. CPM’s branch secretary and a local committee member, K Mohanan was murdered by hacking at a toddy shop near Valakichal, which is under the CM’s constituency. Mohanan was a toddy-seller as well. Following this, there was been a series of violent incidents in the region. In a shocking incident, CPM men murdered K Ramith who is a BJP sympathiser, at Pinarayi which is CM Vijayan’s hometown. After this, a few men, with faces covered with masks entered Shaji’s house in broad daylight and totally demolished the contents of the house, including furniture and tiles. They also allegedly put a sword to the neck of Shaji’s wife Radhika who is also pregnant.

They returned at night to vandalise the remaining items as well, and even the neighbours were helpless. Shaji’s mother who is a construction worker, told IE, “Not one woman came to console us through the week.” The violence at the district of Kannur has a long trail in time, between political parties, especially BJP and CPM. This year itself there has been six killings. Apart from that a BJP man while working with explosives even blew himself up. Recently attacks also include numerous accounts of looting and ransacking of homes, especially after a CPM worker was run over at the CM’s hometown Pinarayi in May this year. After the incident, many BJP men’s homes were ransacked. After Mohanan was killed, more than 20 homes of BJP-RSS workers/daily wagers were attacked.

According to IE report, a construction worker KV Sudheesh, whose house was recently furnished because of his planned wedding was left in pieces. The gang which attacked the house also destroyed his motorbike by throwing it into a well, also taking away his gold and more than a lakh of cash. He told, “I am not a BJP worker, only a sympathiser. The gang included CPM workers. If we name them, they will even kill us.” Attackers even targetted youths in CPM’s area who had switched over to BJP. Kanakavalli a 53-year-old woman, told IE, “They threatened me at the point of a knife and took away three sovereigns gold and Rs 2,500. I know many of them, CPM men from nearby areas. But if I give police their names, they will not spare my son Maneesh.”

Sources from BJP told IE that they have not attacked CPM homes and that CPM is worried about BJP’s growth. A source was quoted as saying, “After Ramith was murdered Thursday, we have not attacked the houses of any CPM worker.” Interestingly, K Manoharan, CPM Pinarayi area committee secretary said that the house attacks were a natural reaction to killings as it is ‘human nature’.